In recent times, businesses have had to restructure, reduce teams, diversify, and deploy flexible and remote work options. Hopefully, most are now in the various stages of rebuilding, or even scaling up again.

During this period, people have re-evaluated what’s important to them, which is reflected in their employment and career choices. Ultimately, if people aren’t knocking down your door to work for you, it’s time to innovate and rethink what you are offering candidates.

Ask yourself: what makes a business an employer of choice?

Talent acquisition and developing and retaining new team members is a strategy that’s best made up of more than a job advertisement, an interview and a throw in the deep end. After all, smart businesses are attractive rather than reactive.

An attractive business:

• Has a clear company vision and purpose that people resonate with, resulting in candidates buying into your ‘why’.
• Is aware of creating and maintaining a strong ‘Employer Brand’ (i.e., how you stack up as an employer in the market).
• Honours your Employer Value Proposition (i.e., the promises you make to new employees) – under-promise and over-deliver.
• Has an ‘always hiring’ mentality (i.e., a pipeline of people at different stages of interaction with the business), and a commitment to engaging and cultivating future leaders.
• Provides career pathways and ongoing training and development. They recognise this helps people progress their careers and avoids having them stagnate in their roles.
• Doesn’t offer a ‘job’ but instead, offers a ‘career’.
• Is always innovating, encouraging and rewarding contribution to culture and community. This is achieved by creating a diverse and inclusive environment, based on strong and proud team foundations.
• Looks internally for the right people, personality traits and leadership qualities to promote.
• Doesn’t rely on resumes, as they recognise that a lot of top performer qualities aren’t found in a CV. Instead, they get to know the human side.
• Provides a professional candidate experience where each person emerges as an Ambassador for the brand, whether they were offered the role or not.

Recruiting the right people for your team is not about sharing an advert and hoping the right skills land in your inbox. It starts way before that and is successful because of the entire eco-system.

Happy attracting! 

This article was written by Bekk Millwood and first appeared on FITREC's Raising the Bar here.